Janet, a woman who recently moved to the US for work, has told Graham Norton and Maria McErlane's Wanging On podcast that her neighbour repeatedly mowed her lawn without permission – and then began hinting she should help pay for the mower's petrol.
Neighbour rows are nothing new. It was recently reported that a man's neighbour had repeatedly stolen from his garden to make her own better, while someone else exacted revenge on a neighbour who kept parking on their drive. For Janet, the issue was more complex.
Writing to the podcast, Janet explained: "One day I came home and the neighbour was cutting our lawn. I'll admit it was overgrown, but I had booked a gardener to come a few days later." She said she told the neighbour in a "friendly way" that she appreciated the gesture but he "needn't worry" about helping.
The petrol money dilemma
Despite her request, Janet recently arrived home from work to discover the neighbour had mowed the lawn again. "It didn't need it," her letter continued. "But my dilemma is in conversation they have dropped hints about chipping in for petrol [for the mower]."
Convinced she owes the neighbour nothing, Janet said she was wondering whether she should "just get over it" and hand over some cash.
What Graham Norton and Maria McErlane advised
Maria suggested letting the neighbour carry on, saying: "Isn't it one less thing to have to worry about - or to make a call about and get a landscaper in? Why not just let the neighbour do it? It's going to be cheaper than getting someone to come in especially. He's a neighbour, just being nice, you don't want to fall out with him and you might need him at some point."
Graham took the opposite view. While accepting the petrol cost would be tiny, he argued there was an "emotional cost" at play. "That thing about dropping hints about the petrol - clearly it's about 10p of petrol to mow a lawn - he just wants the appreciation and the love," the 63-year-old pointed out.
He then offered Janet some straightforward advice: "Cut this off now. Just say, 'Thank you for doing this - do I owe you anything for petrol to this point?' He can then say what he wants and if he says, 'Yes', just give him the money and make it very clear you now have a gardener."
Graham added that if the neighbour still chose to mow the lawn after that, he would be an "idiot", as Janet would never express gratitude or hand over money again.
Legal rights if a neighbour mows your lawn
Under UK law, a neighbour entering your property to mow your lawn without permission is generally a civil matter – specifically trespass. Property owners have the legal right to control who enters their land and how it is maintained.
Key points to consider:
- Civil trespass: Trespassing means entering or remaining on someone else's land without consent. No physical damage is required; simply stepping onto the property unlawfully is enough. The neighbour's intent does not matter – they are still trespassing if they lack permission, even if they believe they are helping.
- Adverse possession: Regularly mowing and maintaining land can establish "factual possession", as confirmed by a 2026 UK court ruling in Dobson v Unsted. If a neighbour continuously maintains part of your land for 10 years and genuinely believes it is theirs, they could apply to HM Land Registry to claim legal ownership.
- Criminal damage and harassment: Under the Criminal Damage Act 1971, destroying or damaging "cultivated" plants or flowers while mowing could be criminal damage. Cutting wild, uncultivated grass or weeds is generally not. If the neighbour keeps ignoring requests to stop, or their behaviour causes alarm or distress, it could also be classed as harassment or anti-social behaviour.
